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Sunday November 26, 2023
— a “hybrid” event —
Maureen Walsh and Nikola Paskalov
Nikola Paskalov, Piano
Maureen Walsh, Saxophone
French Sax
Classical Saxophonist Maureen Walsh will join Emerson Salon favorite Pianist Nikola Paskalov in a program featuring charming, light music from France, the birthplace of the saxophone. The program includes arrangements and original works by Debussy, Fauré and Ravel.
PROGRAM
Maurice Ravel — “Sonatine”
(arranged for soprano saxophone and piano)
Claude Debussy — “Images” Book 1
1. Reflets dans L’eau
2. Hommage a Rameau
3. Mouvement
Gabriel Fauré — “Élégie”
(arranged for alto saxophone and piano)
Paule Maurice — “Tableax de Provence”
1. Farandole des Jeunes Filles
2. Chanson pour ma Mie
3. La Bohemienne
4. Des Alyscamps L’ame Soupire
5. Le Cabridan
BIOGRAPHY
Praised for his “brilliance in expression … illuminated by gentle intensity” (Fränkische Landeszeitung), pianist, Nikola Paskalov, has actively performed internationally, having given solo and chamber music concerts throughout Europe and USA.
Nikola Paskalov made his first leap in to the professional concert stage during the time of his musical education at the “High School under the Moscow Conservatory P.I. Tchaikovsky” in Moscow. At the time he was 16th he starts his professional career performing concerts with orchestras and playing recitals.
Studying in the class of prof. B. Romanov in Moscow, and than at the Faculty of Music (FMU) in Skopje – Macedonia in the class of the same professor he graduates in 1995, and after he continues his professional development at the “European Mozart Academy” in Poland where he worked with several visiting professors: A. Satz, I. Roman, V. Lobanov, J. Vitenbah, D. Golub, A. Newman and participated at numerous international master classes and worked with well known pianists and pedagogues: Paul Badura – Skoda, Georg Sebok, Gunter Rainhold and Peter Feuchtwanger. In his rich concert life besides his numerous appearances on the Macedonian concert stage including with the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra he performs on the international scene: with Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Croatian Radio and Television. Performed solo recitals and chamber music concerts in Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, at the Festivals in Italy, Austria, “Piano Festival” in Feuchtwangen – Germany; in London – UK and in Zagreb – Croatia. Performs with various ensembles “Rucner”,“Gajdov” and “Kodaly” string quartets and collaborates with well known instrumentalists. He performed in London for the concert series called “Pianists of the World” playing solo recital at the prestigious concert hall of “St Martin in the Fields” as well with the Symphony Orchestra of the Croatian Radio in Zagreb-Croatia where he performed the concerto for piano and orchestra by N.Glassl in the famous “Lisinski” concert hall. On the last jubilee edition of the prestigious Ohrid Summer Festival in Macedonia he performed with the famous “Kodaly” string quartet from Hungary. Before his move to the USA in 2014 he gave a debut recital at the most prestigious concert hall in the world “Carnegie Hall” in New York. For his concert activities Nikola Paskalov received a reword from the Macedonian Association of Music Artist for outstanding artistic achievement. Beside numerous solo recitals and chamber music concerts in the USA in the last 5 years on a regular bases he performed deferent solo piano and chamber music repertoire with Bowen McCauley Dance company at the prestigious Kennedy Center’s “Terrace Theater” and “Eisenhower Theater” in Washington, DC and performed Rachmaninov second concerto in La Paz Bolivia last year with Cochabamba Symphony Orchestra on their invitation.
Nikola appears on recordings under the JMM (Jeunesse Musicale Macedonia) label and recorded Nikola Glassl’s piano concerto with the Symphony Orchestra of Croatian Radio under their label. After his move to the USA in Washington, DC metro area, beside his performances as a concert pianist and collaborating with many distinguished musicians, eager to help shape and encourage the next generations of young pianists, Mr. Paskalov has also opened and successfully running a private piano studio in McLean, Virginia-USA.
The Washington Post has described Maureen Walsh as bringing “consummate skill and interpretative sensitivity to the Schmitt, capturing every ounce of its dusky innuendos and mystical exoticism” after a performance with the National Symphony Orchestra. Miss Walsh was a prizewinner of the NSO young soloist competition as well as the Harold Randolf Prize and the Baltimore Music Club competition. In June of 2022 she released a video album featuring her own arrangements of opera fantasy suites along with original illustrations.
Miss Walsh has taken the saxophone from Alaska to Thailand with a blend of classical and contemporary programing which often features a visual element to enhance the experience. In addition to solo recitals, she performs with the Capital Wind Symphony under George Etheridge and the saxophone ensemble Le Revenant.
Miss Walsh studied at the Peabody Conservatory with Gary Louie and received 3 degrees there including a masters. She also studied with the iconic Donald Sinta at the University of Michigan. Currently, she maintains a private studio in Silver Spring, MD with in person and online students from all over the country. To reach younger saxophone students she is developing the Suzuki method for modified reeded recorders in order to introduce the classical saxophone at an earlier age.
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